Across the Stars I: Revelation
by Garowyn
Summary: The rain fell and with it, the walls of courage...crumbled. This was what he wanted. This was what he needed. Everyone would respect him…everyone would fear him. [Complete]
1. The Sith Code

**A/N: PLEASE READ OR YOU COULD BE CONFUSED**

**First off, this is AU—remember that! Secondly, ages are different and some characters are a tiny bit different as well due to the way they are portrayed in this AU fic. Thirdly, I do not own Star Wars or DragonBallZ and that is including the planets, the characters, the occupations, etc. "Across the Stars" has been borrowed from a track on the SW2: AotC soundtrack which is beautifully done by John Williams. So I do not own the name either. **

**Fourth, this Across the Stars Saga is divided into 4 separate stories: Revelation, Recovery, Redemption, and Reconciliation. Fifth, I owe a great deal to DoraMouse's website for information. Sixth, beginning of each chapter I will let you know which planets and characters belong to me.**

**With that said and done, read on…**

* * *

PROLOGUE

The Jedi Order has maintained peace in the galaxy for centuries.

A new planet had been found by the Jedi Order, near Zonama Sekot, called Planet Vegeta. One whole new race had been discovered; the people on the planet have remained isolated from the Republic, relying on their own resources and way of life for many years prior. Two beings both incredibly strong in the Force had been taken at age five and four to the Jedi Temple located on the capital of the universe, Coruscant. One is a Prince, the other a Third Class. They were to be trained in the ways of the Force and their extraordinary strength would aid them greatly.

Unfortunately, they had not had enough training in fighting and they frequently felt the urge to fight, especially the Prince who had a fiery temper. The Jedi feared that Vegeta, the Prince, and Kakarott, the Third Class, would stumble upon different ways of the Force that would lead to the Dark Side… So the Jedi Council themselves trained the two everyday, pushing them to their limits and allowing them to visit their homeworld from time to time to learn other techniques of fighting.

Kakkarot preferred his nickname, Goku, and Vegeta always insisted on being addressed, as "Prince" although rank was unimportant in the Jedi Order. Nevertheless, the Jedi Council complied with that demand, afraid Vegeta would turn against them and use his great powers for evil. Their purpose was to keep Goku and Vegeta on the Light Side, to use their powers for the well-being of all and restoring and maintaining peace in the galaxy.

Goku would do fine—he had a heart of gold. But Vegeta struggled with some techniques over the years, leading him to develop the desire to keep ahead of "Kakarott" (Vegeta deemed it proper to call him by his real name) in everything. Ultimately, this would lead him down the path to the Dark Side.

Now, the Sith have been dormant for nearly an eternity, having been struck down in defeat by the Jedi, never to reemerge again. But a great darkness has preserved itself all these years on planet Korriban, a place where the tombs of Sith warriors and Sith masters and their dark and terrible secrets dwelled. The Dark Side in Vegeta's soul had reawakened, partly in blame to his Saiyan nature, during a mission to Korriban to find a missing person that was vital to the structure of the Senate. Vegeta brought back this person and completed his mission like always, choosing to travel alone as a Jedi Knight, not a Jedi Master. But no matter how hard he tried, the darkness would not heed his commands to disappear and it slowly grew and consumed him whole. Vegeta then disappeared from existence it seemed, leaving behind a two-year-old son named Trunks, and his wife, Bulma, a Scientist, who had been pregnant with his would-be daughter, Bra. No one has heard from or seen him since.

Goku, who went on to become a Jedi Master, married a woman named ChiChi, an orphan he and his Master had saved from a devastated planet (though newly rebuilt) called Melida-Daan. She became one of the cooks at the Jedi Temple and bore Goku two sons, who both are evidently strong in the Force and in their physical bodies, because they are half-Saiyan. Their names are Gohan and Goten, separated by five years with Gohan being the oldest.

The Jedi Order had forbid attachment and marriage because it would interfere with their duty and loyalties. But like all organizations and special groups, a rebel could and would always be found. Goku revolted against this rule though not in a blatant way as Vegeta had. Goku had simply voiced his opinion respectfully to the Jedi Council, saying that more Force-sensitive beings would be in existence if their parents were strong in the Force. Vegeta had just, well, gone and done it, having always been a rebellious pupil in the Jedi Temple. However, he did love Bulma.

The Jedi Order simply feared the Saiyan Race since they could very well be the most powerful and dangerous race in the galaxy.

However, throughout history, good has always triumphed over evil. Even when it seemed evil had conquered and remained for many a year. Even when morality had been thought to have simply lost in its darkest hour, it is only seen as a battle won in the Great War between good and evil, the war that in the fullness of time, goodness and righteousness will prevail. But until that time comes, evil must be fought and dealt with, no matter how great or small it is.

The Jedi must be prepared…for another great battle waits within the shadows…

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

Bulma sat by the window of her large apartment, peering outside at the flying traffic among the tall skyscrapers of Coruscant. She had been born on Corellia and right away was noted for displaying such brilliance at a young age. She later became a Scientist and moved to Coruscant where better facilities were located.

Bulma's father had died before she was born. Her mother was Senator Stai'La Briefs of Corellia and constantly was busy with the Senate and the Republic itself. Bulma barely saw her mother during the teenage years but nowadays they saw each other a lot since Stai'La wanted to see her grandchildren, Trunks and Bra.

It often made Bulma feel sad. Trunks barely knew his father, and Bra did not know him at all. Vegeta had disappeared when Trunks was two and had never reappeared after that. She wanted her children to have their father, especially since she didn't know her own father. Bulma sometimes wondered…did Vegeta run off with someone else? No, Vegeta wasn't like that—he was fiercely loyal to and protective of her, before he left, claiming it to be a Saiyan custom. Did he not want to be a part of their family? That one left her thinking. Vegeta had never really shown signs of affection, except when they were alone together and he wasn't off training or on a mission for the Jedi Order, an Order he seemed to be no longer a part of. Did he consider his family a weakness?

"Oh Vegeta…" The blue-haired woman breathed as she leaned against the cool glass. The morning sun was most likely rising but you never could tell what with all the lights that seemingly never shut down. Today, she would have to go to work and tinker with her latest project. But first, the mother had to wake her children and get them ready for another day of training at the Jedi Temple.

Trunks, nine years old, was training more than his little sister of six was. Not just because he was older but because Vegeta would have wanted it and Trunks himself wanted to become a Jedi Knight. He was unmistakably powerful in the Force and needed to learn how to control it. Bra only trained a few days out of the week, mostly because Bulma had not permitted the Jedi Order to train her full-time like Trunks.

Trunks' best friend was Goten. Goten, the youngest son of Goku, who was eight, trained with Trunks and the two were best friends. While Gohan had his own unique hairstyle, although resembling Goku closely, Goten was almost an exact copy of Goku. Gohan was only thirteen years old and newly accepted as an apprentice. Already he showed great potential and it was possible that he would be ready to face the trails in less than ten years, the usual length of time of training with a master for some apprentices.

'Trunks is going to be a great warrior someday.'

The Scientist got up from her seat and stretched. Yawning, she walked slowly down the hall to wake up her son. Which reminded her…Vegeta didn't even know he had a daughter, unless he sensed her during Bulma's pregnancy. She had only been two months when he had left and coincidentally, that had been the day she planned to tell him. An ironic thing and to this day, it continued to irk her. "Why didn't I tell him sooner?" she whispered to herself as she approached Trunks' room.

After punching in the code for all rooms except the master bedroom, the doors slid open unhurriedly, revealing a small boy under the covers, sleeping soundly with a peaceful expression. 'Darn it!' Bulma bit her lip. Nearly everything her son did reminded her of Vegeta. 'He's making my life so hard…I hate this! Blast you, Vegeta!' She silently willed herself to keep Vegeta out of her thoughts today, and sat down on the soft covers and gently shook him awake. "Trunks…Trunks! Wake up!" Bulma pulled back a bit of the covering and then opened the curtains for his window to let in the light.

"Mmm…a few more minutes…" Trunks mumbled and shifted his body so that he was facing the wall. Bulma allowed a small smile and left the room, leaving the doors open, to get her daughter up. Bra would not be training today. Instead she would go to her grandmother's place and stay there for the day. Bulma did not want any interruptions while she worked. She only hoped Stai'La didn't say anything critical about her husband since the woman had never approved of Bulma's marriage to a "scoundrel" as she called Vegeta. Even though he was a Knight and a good one at that. But Vegeta did tend to act like a scoundrel at times and that was part of the reason why she had fallen in love with him.

Bulma kissed her daughter's forehead and woke her up. "C'mon sweetie, get up!"

Bra moved a bit and then opened her eyes. "Morning Mommy," she whispered and then closed her eyes again, hoping to sleep a little more.

"Morning honey." Bulma smiled and then left the room to Trunks' room again. The crown Prince had not gotten up yet. There was only one thing left to do. "Trunks, get your butt out of bed or Goten will eat all of breakfast!" she called out loudly and then strode to the kitchen.

That did it. "I'm up! I'm up! Goten if you eat all the food, I'll…" Trunks suddenly realized that he had been duped. Goten lived at the Jedi Temple with his parents and rarely ate breakfast here in Trunks' home. Rolling his eyes, Trunks sulked as he stepped outside his room and headed for the kitchen where his mother had begun to pour blue milk.

Bra was one step ahead of him, already gulping down her milk with satisfaction. "Good Morning Trunks!" she greeted her older brother cheerfully. Trunks, in return, only stuck his lower lip out even further.

"That was dirty pool, mom." Trunks pouted as he sat at the table.

Bulma shrugged her shoulders. "It was the only way to get you up," she said as she began to prepare their breakfast. Knowing her two children had inherited their father's Saiyan appetite, she would have to cook quite a bit.

"Am I going with you today, Mommy?" Bra asked as she patiently waited for her breakfast, unlike Trunks who made it obvious he was impatient by kicking the leg of the table.

"Yes Bra, to Grandma's," Bulma answered, heating up one of their favorite breakfast meals, which happened to be a popular one on planet Vegeta. "Trunks, stop that. A Jedi—"

"Control's his emotions—there's no anger—been there, done that," Trunks finished sarcastically. He sighed heavily, frustrated. "Mom, I want to become a Jedi Knight and all but being a Padawan stinks! You can't do anything! Goten and I are more than ready to become real Apprentices and build lightsabers!" A gleam of excitement came into his soft blue eyes.

"Trunks…" Bulma shook her head. "You're just like your father." 'Darn it! There I go again!' "He…he always craved the action and the dangerous parts of training and a mission," she added thoughtfully, remembering the day she had yelled at Vegeta for leading her down into a dark tunnel. Then he had scared the daylights out of her when he ignited his blue lightsaber, a blade he had been most proud of.

"Really?" Bra asked. "Mommy, what was Daddy like?"

Trunks perked up at this. He'd been told his father had simply disappeared. Bulma hadn't wanted to lie to him or tell him that Vegeta was dead so that was what she had told him. The boy missed his father. He had had only a few memories of Vegeta and they were starting to fade away, as he grew older.

Bulma sighed and smiled at her children. "How about I tell you as a bedtime story? I'm in a bit of a rush this morning…and Trunks you need to shower and get ready. Goku's coming to pick you up." She set their breakfast on the table. "I'm going to go take a shower myself. Now. Eat." She strode briskly out of the kitchen, calling back a last order. "And be quick about it!"

"Yes mom," Trunks dully replied and dug in.

Scoop after scoop of the meal went in his mouth, instantly savored and devoured, chewed into a bolus and transported down to the stomach through the esophagus. Bra watched her older brother with interest as she ate in a less atrocious way. "Trunks?" she suddenly chirped, causing her brother to pause for a fraction of a second, before he resumed chewing.

"What?" he inquired after swallowing.

"Do you remember Daddy?" Bra was certainly anxious to know. Bulma had never told her about Vegeta and the girl was very curious about her father. She knew he was gone but she didn't know what he was like.

Trunks hesitated and then shook his head. "Wait till tonight, Bra," he said and continued to eat.

The two siblings had a close relationship. Trunks was your basic protective big brother and Bra was the one who liked to annoy him for most of the time, although Trunks did get in a bit of teasing. Nevertheless, Trunks and Bra loved each other dearly.

It was similar to Trunks' friendship with Goten, who was also great friends with Bra. Goten was a little clueless and not very bright but he was strong in the Force. The two were the best of friends and stuck to each other like glue, sometimes indulging in playing a couple of pranks on the Jedi Masters in the Temple.

Trunks chuckled out loud as he remembered a recent prank they had played on one of their teachers, Krillin.

_Krillin was eating the midday meal in the cafeteria and had gotten up to get another serving since he had been training hard with Goku, building up his appetite. The training had consisted of lightsaber combat and Martial Arts. Goku had, after all, been taught some fighting techniques before they were transported off planet. And the two frequently visited Planet Vegeta whenever they could, where Goku talked with his father Bardock, and brother Radditz._

_Trunks and Goten were sitting nearby with their fellow Padawans. Goten was having second thoughts about the whole prank, but Trunks persuaded him to go through with it. Trunks was the one who had conjured up the mini-airbag using who knew what and Goten was the one who was supposed to place it where Krillin sat._

_"Trunks, I'm still not so sure about this," Goten wailed quietly. They were at the far end of the bench. "What if Master Krillin senses something wrong? And you know people are bound to see us!"_

_"Goten, Goten, Goten…" Trunks sighed heavily. "Honestly, can you stop worrying for just one second?" He glanced around, making sure no one had heard their conversation. "And whisper! Tsulin might hear us."_

_Tsulin was a human boy who was very popular (and fairly strong in the Force) with both humans and aliens and very snobbish. It was a wonder he was a Padawan. Goten had tried to be friends with him but Tsulin just shot him down by insulting him with a comment about his tail. Trunks didn't even try; he had learned that many Padawans were jealous of their unique abilities and the fact that they would probably be picked first as an apprentice. Some were even jealous of the fact that Trunks was basically royalty._

_At least they had one true friend: Greslee. Greslee was a Twi'Lek from Ryloth and was very shy but polite. He had other friends of course but seemed to be the only who accepted the Half-Saiyan boys as they were._

_Tsulin came over to them with a snotty expression. "What are you two whispering about?" he questioned, giving them a suspicious look._

_"Mind your own business!" Trunks snapped._

_"Tsk tsk." Tsulin smirked. "A Jedi does not know anger," he recited._

_"Whatever," Trunks replied._

_"A Jedi respects life in all forms," Goten remarked sharply, shooting a hurtful look at Tsulin, remembering the tail insult._

_Tsulin huffed and stalked away, muttering things under his breath._

_Trunks studied his friend. He would have never expected Goten to do or say something like that. The black-haired boy was staring at the floor, a wounded look evident in his soft brown eyes. "Aw, Goten…forget about him. Next time, we'll play a prank on him," Trunks assured his friend good-naturedly. He grinned. "Now, I believe you have something to do."_

_Goten smiled back and nodded. "Okay." He took the mini-airbag and stood to his feet._

_"Hurry! He's coming back!" Trunks urged the Son on._

_"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying…" Goten muttered as he quickly made his way to where Krillin's seat was. When Krillin sat down, his back would be to the wall—the perfect place to be sitting for a prank like this. Goten held the bag against his chest, pretending it was some sort of luggage. He made it to the bench before Krillin did, setting the bag below the bench. "Hi Master Krillin!" Goten chirped, standing before him._

_Krillin was pretty much alone at his table except for one other master, Aidan Bok. Aidan raised an eyebrow as the two said hello to each other. He sensed something…amiss… Something was up. 'Not those two again…' He wondered what they were up to this time._

_"Hello Goten. How are you?" Krillin greeted him cheerfully. "Why, you're getting to look more like your father everyday!" Krillin was Goku's other best friend, aside from Vegeta who didn't consider himself to be a best friend to "Kakkarot" but Goku did._

_"I'm fine," Goten responded and reacted speedily before Krillin sat down. Utilizing the Force, Goten was able to set the airbag onto the bench just in time for Krillin to sit down. A loud funny noise filled the air, as everyone present in the cafeteria became quiet._

_Trunks was biting his tongue so hard he thought it would bleed. 'Stars, how does Goten manage to keep a straight face like that? I'd be on the floor in a second!'_

_Aidan's lips formed an 'O' and he immediately bit down on his bottom lip, stifling a chuckle._

_"Gosh, Master Krillin…" Goten cracked a grin, one hand behind his head in a familiar style._

_Krillin's face had turned completely red. Giggling and laughter soon sounded throughout the room. "Goten…Trunks…what did you—"_

_"Um, I have to go," Goten mumbled and ran off towards the exit where Trunks already was. They might be able to get away from trouble but certainly not the wrath of an angry ChiChi._

_They narrowly missed Piccolo, a wise Namek and member of the Jedi Council, who had entered the cafeteria, curious about the laughter that had reached his sensitive ears. "Humph. Don't tell me." Piccolo saw Krillin banging his head on the table._

"What's so funny?" Bra asked, finishing up her breakfast.

"Nothing," Trunks answered. "Nothing at all…hee, hee…"

* * *

Bulma ushered Bra and Trunks out of the turbolift. "Come on you two, Goku's waiting!" she scolded as the two children did their best to avoid the other residents of one of Coruscant's finest apartment buildings. 

Goku was waiting outside next to a twin-turbine speeder he had borrowed from the Temple. "Morning guys!" he called out, overly cheerful for a Jedi and a Saiyan.

"Goku!" Bulma reached the speeder with children in tow. "Sorry we're late!"

"Hi Master Goku!" Bra waved her hand at the tall Saiyan. "I'm going with Mommy today to see my Grandma!"

"That's okay." Goku grinned at the daughter of Vegeta. "So I hear! You—"

"Sorry, Goku, but we've gotta get a move on!" Bulma walked over to Trunks who had already seated himself in the passenger seat of the teal-colored airspeeder. "Bye sweetie—be good!" She kissed the top of his head, leaving the boy in utter embarrassment.

"Mom!" Trunks grumbled, sinking low in his seat. "I'm not a little boy anymore."

"On the contrary." Bulma smirked. "You'll always be my little boy. Bye now…Bye Goku! And thanks!" Both she and her daughter waved good-bye to the Saiyan and halfling.

"See you later!" Goku called back and powered up the airspeeder. The two were gone in an instant since Goku liked to fly fast. He was a good pilot although not quite as good as Vegeta had been. Vegeta had been the one with the brains, the piloting skills, and the mastery of the Lightsaber. Goku was a Master of Force in contrast to Vegeta; he was calmer and more relaxed than the Prince thus able to practice many Force-using techniques and use them to his advantage. The knowledge of the Force aided him greatly in both combat between rivals and actual battle between an enemy.

The Saiyan glanced at his young passenger, astounded by the resemblance to the Saiyan Prince. Trunks was the Crown Prince after all. Then again, Vegeta, from the last time they had ever talked, hadn't decided about what to do about his title and his duties to his people. 'Maybe that's where Vegeta is…' Goku thought but then brushed it off since the Jedi Council had long since contacted Planet Vegeta to find out if it's Prince had returned.

"So, how's the training going?" Goku asked, trying to strike up a conversation before they reached the Jedi Temple, which loomed in the distance.

"Fine. Nothing new, as usual," Trunks muttered darkly.

Goku raised an eyebrow. "You mean, you and Goten haven't tried to 'borrow' some lightsabers yet?" he questioned with a hint of humor in his tone.

Trunks looked up to see laughter twinkling in the Master's dark eyes. "What makes you think that?" he wanted to know, tilting his head slightly.

"Face it—I know you two so well you can't hide anything from me," Goku answered with a goofy smile, knowing of their desire to have a real lightsaber. "What did you do while Gohan and I were gone?"

Trunks was silent for a moment. "Um, nothing much…where did you guys go?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Goku chuckled. "We went to Gala to settle some disagreements," Goku answered, keeping an eye on the traffic on either side of them. "It was another successful mission without bloodshed or battle." There was a pause. "How angry was Krillin?" he suddenly asked out of the blue.

"Krillin?" Trunks echoed. "What do you mean—Oh…" His tone was low. "You found out, huh?"

"I sure did. You know you shouldn't have done that…but it must've been pretty darn funny!" Goku laughed lightly. "At least it was nothing too extreme," he added as an afterthought.

The airspeeder smoothly made its way through the busy air traffic and took a sharp left and then a right with Goku applying adequate pressure to the accelerator. "Guess what? You and Goten are allowed to practice your lightsaber skills with low-powered lightsabers today. I just found out," the adult Saiyan informed the Padawan.

"What? Really?" Trunks squeaked, glad for the opportunity to finally prove himself good enough to become an apprentice, maybe even early.

"Really," Goku affirmed.

Soon the two beings of Saiyan blood arrived at the grand Jedi Temple. Trunks hopped out of the airspeeder, eager to start his training. His face lit up when he saw his best friend and Gohan waiting outside in front of the doors.

"Hi Trunks!" Goten called out and waved.

"Morning Trunks." Gohan smiled as Trunks reached the doors.

"Hey guys—did ya hear, Goten? We get to practice with real lightsabers today!" Trunks announced with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah Gohan told me. Master Piccolo told him!" Goten responded with equal enthusiasm. "They're low-powered, though," he then added with a hint of remorse.

"Oh Goten," Gohan chuckled as everyone entered the Temple. "Don't worry. Someday you and Trunks will be wielding your own lightsabers and they won't be low-powered."

"Indeed." Goku smiled warmly at the young Padawans. "But before that happens, you'll require a lot of training, including your martial arts training. If you're not careful, you could hurt somebody, or worse…"

* * *

Perspire slid down his face, courtesy of the hard work he was putting into swinging the blue laser blade around and clashing with the opposing light sword. Every move he made, every step he took, and every prediction he made of his rival's next action was vital to his victory. Trunks had thought that it would be easy to handle a lightsaber since he and Goten had practiced with smaller things, pretending they were real lightsabers but it was quickly proving to be far more difficult than he had ever imagined. 

As for Goten, the young Son was having troubles as well but strangely enough, he found it…fun. Goten could feel the Force flowing through him, through his veins, through his muscles. It was a close friend and fairly simple to summon and use to assist him in exercises or spars. With twinkling eyes, Goten swung his emerald green blade around to the side, preparing to lightly tap Trunks' tunic but he never succeeded. Trunks brought his own sword up and the two connected, a satisfying sparking sound filling their ears.

Gohan, Piccolo, Goku, Dende, Aidan, Tien, and Krillin stood off to the side, watching the battle with amazement that is except for Piccolo and Goku. Piccolo was always expressionless and serious and the reason for Goku not appearing astonished was the he knew full well that Goten and Trunks would do well. They would grow up to be incredible Jedi Knights and Saiyan Warriors.

However, Piccolo's mind was not on the fight but on something else. Grunting, Piccolo motioned for Goku and Tien to join him in the hallway. Aidan glanced at the trio curiously before turning his attention back to the duel.

Piccolo, the green alien from the planet Namek, was a wise Jedi Master and head of the Jedi Council. Lately he had been receiving disturbing visions and had sensed a tremendous surge of power in the Force and that was just what he told Goku and fellow master, Tien. "What are your thoughts on this matter?" Piccolo demanded in an impatient tone.

"Hmm," Goku began, scrunching his face up in confusion. "Well…I…hmm…tsk…it could be…gosh, gee—I don't know!" he finished, blinking at the two.

Dumbfounded, Tien blinked right back. There were times when everyone wondered just what it was that made Goku a Jedi Master. "Uh…these visions…can you tell us more about them?" he pressed, crossing his arms with a frown.

"Very well," Piccolo said gruffly. "They have all been roughly the same things: darkness, a red light, and a mysterious being, mysterious in terms of identity." Hesitating, Piccolo recalled something else from his vision. "There was a chant of some sort but the words were barely audible."

"The red light…could it be a lightsaber? Some sort of weapon, perhaps?" Tien reasoned, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Are you implying that it could be a…a Sith?" Goku let the question hang in the air, oblivious to their obvious shock. "I mean, only a warrior of the Dark Side would carry a crimson blade," he stated further.

Tien raised an eyebrow. "The Sith haven't been around for centuries. It just isn't possible that—"

"I'm afraid that it is." Piccolo nodded. "The source of power could not have come from the Light Side of the Force. It was…dark, very dark..." He paused, hearing a cheer and a cry of pain and surprise from inside the training room. Goten had beaten Trunks. "Anyway, Dende is going to have to tend to Trunks' wound." Dende was also from Namek, noted for his ability to heal. "We will discuss this more in detail, later." Turning abruptly, Piccolo strode down the hallway, probably heading for the Room of a Thousand Fountains to ponder over his visions.

* * *

The day went by fairly quickly for the liking of Bulma. Her brain was exhausted from the amount of work put into her recent project at the Coruscant Technological Center. It was late afternoon and soon she would leave to pick up her daughter from her mother's, and then head home for dinner. Goku would bring Trunks back in the late evening. 

Sighing, Bulma brushed some of her shoulder-length hair back behind her ears and leaned back in her chair. "I think that's enough for today, Alla," she breathed, speaking to her female alien assistant.

Alla, a Shi'ido, nodded but did not say anything. The young woman was quiet and did not say much and hardly smiled. Her skin had a grayish tone and had hazel eyes with long, stringy chestnut-colored hair. She was in her human form, as her species were widely known to change forms and shapes, a shapechanger.

"Bulma!" a male voice called from behind the two and Bulma spun around in her chair to see a man her age, Yamcha. Yamcha was originally from the Outer Rim territories but had left to make a living on the galaxy Capital. He had become one of Bulma's mother's personal bodyguards, and that was how he had met Bulma, the two quickly becoming good friends, what with being around the same age. Yamcha made a great deal of money but never flaunted it. He knew being a bodyguard was risky business, so he was grateful for everything he had and earned. If not for the excellent training he had received, he might as well have been killed already since there were frequent attempts on Senator's lives and other dangerous things.

"Oh hello Yamcha." Bulma stood up and smiled at him, smoothing out a wrinkle in her sleeve. "What brings you in here today?" she asked after giving him a quick hug.

"Nothing. I merely wanted to see you," he replied, returning the smile. "I haven't seen you in awhile."

"Right," Bulma scoffed, hands on her hips. "I know you. Nobody ever comes in here just to say hello. There's always requests, orders, etc." She smirked.

Yamcha feigned shock. "Me? I certainly don't have orders for you but I do have one request…I was hoping you would join me for dinner tonight? I'm off duty for the rest of the evening."

Silence passed as Alla began to clear up a few messes surrounding the worktable. Bulma shrugged her shoulders after considering the offer. "Sure, why not?" Chances were that he'd take her to some fancy restaurant and she didn't feel like cooking tonight anyway. "What time?"

"I'll come for you in three standard hours," Yamcha suggested. "19:00."

"All right. Thanks!" She grinned and suddenly frowned. "I'll have to find a babysitter for Bra though." Maybe she could get ChiChi to baby-sit for her. ChiChi could accompany Goku and Trunks back to Bulma's apartment building and stay there until Bulma was back.

* * *

Trunks sat on Goten's bed, nursing his sore arm. It wasn't a bad wound since the lightsabers had been on low power, but losing to Goten hurt his pride, a lot. Sometimes he wished that just once he could accomplish something at an easier and quicker pace, something that Goten wouldn't be able to achieve. There was always this desire to be the best, the most powerful…and it made him uncomfortable whenever such thoughts entered his mind. It made him feel guilty. A Jedi did not seek power. A Jedi knows no anger, fear, or hatred, which led to suffering and the Dark Side. 

The lavender-haired boy sighed. Goten was in the refresher unit at the moment and Trunks was resting, waiting for dinnertime to arrive. 'I am starving!' he thought, wondering what their evening meal would be. 'I hope it's something good.' Drowsiness overtook him and he leaned against the pillow, yawning.

_There is no fear, there is power._

"Huh?" Trunks gasped and snapped his eyes open. He glanced around the room wildly, searching for the person who had said that one particular phrase. It didn't sound right; it contradicted the teachings of the Jedi. "Hey, Goten? Did you say something?" he yelled to his best friend.

Goten hollered back, "No! Why?"

"…Nothing." Trunks shook his head and narrowed his eyes, reaching out with the Force, hoping to find the source but to no avail. He could detect no other life force, except for the familiar ones.

_There is no death, there is immortality._

There it was again! "Argh!" Trunks jumped to his feet and ran to the door, punching in the code and darted through the opening. There was no one in the hallways, not even a droid. "That's funny…" He did however feel something, through the Force. "I've got a bad feeling about this…" he muttered, retreating to Goten's personal quarters.

"About what?" Goten came out of the bathroom with a perplexed look on his boyish features. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not! I heard something, Goten, or someone…" he answered in a low voice. Quickly he explained the situation and repeated the two sentences that continued to echo inside of his head. "The voice…it sounded so…familiar. I've heard it before, I know I have."

Goten's eyes widened. "Who do you think it sounded like?" he asked fearfully. "Trunks, those words…they're not right. They're wrong."

"I know that!" Trunks snapped, catching his friend by surprise. There was an awkward silence and Trunks allowed himself to calm down, using a Jedi calming technique. 'There is no emotion' "I'm sorry Goten."

"That's okay." Goten smiled, always ready to forgive and forget. "But you still didn't answer my question."

Trunks was deep in thought. "I don't know…it kind of…sounded like my..." His voice trailed off.

"Your…what?" Goten pressed. "Your sister?"

The lavender-haired boy snorted. "No!" Trunks shrugged his shoulders. "Never mind. Let's go find something to eat, okay? We'll see if supper's ready."

"Yeah!" The two took off down the hallway, the two single phrases forgotten.

They bypassed a droid who had heard their entire conversation, a droid designed by Gero Machinery. Dr. Gero, a famous now-dead scientist, had been the one to attach artificial limbs to a female, nearly dead from a flying accident, who was now the most feared bounty hunter in the entire galaxy…

* * *

The female assistant of Bulma's activated the security code for a storage room. Alla silently turned from the door and started down the long winding hallway. 'Another dull end to a another dull day.' She thought as her footsteps echoed all along the lonely hall. Alla didn't mind her work but sometimes she got tired of the blue-haired scientist's ravings and non-stop talk. Bulma was brilliant, yes, there was no doubt about that but other times she got on Alla's nerves. But it was a job and Bulma was nice enough to her. The Shi'ido was wary of most humans despite taking on a human form herself. Some humans she had come across in her life had been rather racist towards aliens and even people within their own species. It never ceased to amaze her, how humans and even aliens could act so terribly towards others just because of a small difference. It was utterly ridiculous. 

Lifting her eyes from the metallic floor, she saw the side door to the Center where a guard was awaiting her in the dim light. Wait a minute…

'That's no guard!' Alla felt her heartbeat quicken in fear as the nebulous figure stepped out from the shadows. The being, about Bulma's height, wore a black cloak, which covered his face, assuming it was a male. Hooded and menacing, it began to run after her and she spun around, already fleeing. Casting a glance behind her, she noticed he was incredibly fast and was nearing her a little too fast for her taste.

"Blast it!" Alla mentally cursed herself several times for forgetting her capabilities. Quickly she transformed into a towering wampa, a fierce beast with white fur, native to the snow-covered planet of Hoth. Aggressive by nature and at heart, Alla let out a roar and lashed out with a massive arm and claw at her pursuer. The figure instinctively ducked but Alla, predicting he'd do that, moved forward and caught him a great hug, wondering if she should squeeze him to his death.

However, one should not underestimate a Sith warrior…

The dark Knight's hood fell back, revealing the face of Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans and former renowned Knight of the Jedi Order. Snarling, Vegeta called upon the Dark Side of the Force, harnessing it's unfathomable power, and grasped her throat. He was preparing to crush her neck when Alla dropped him to the ground, recognizing him as the husband of Bulma. She had met him when he had come to talk to his wife, privately, many years ago.

Vegeta, momentarily off guard, jumped to his feet. "I need information. You will cooperate or face my wrath," he ordered, smirking slightly, the Dark Power resting on her neck.

Alla immediately changed back into her human form, mouth drawn open with shock, not only from his presumed identity but also from the small pressure she felt on her cervix. "You are…Miss Bulma's husband…?" she asked, a little unsure since he had seemed less…evil-looking from before. Her gray skin began to move like waves.

Ignoring the question, Vegeta narrowed his eyes, releasing the hold. "If you even try to escape using your pathetic ability…you will die quickly by other means of force before you can even breathe…" he threatened, his free hand moving down to the hilt of his lightsaber, newly constructed in the ways of the Sith.

Alla knew of those weapons and got the hint. Defeated, the female Shi'ido became still, quiet like the grave.

Satisfied, the Prince continued, "What do you know of the woman's plans for tonight?" he demanded icily, certain Bulma had to have moved on without him by now. Vegeta would kill any man, without hesitation, that may have married the woman. But Bulma had made a promise to him, to never remarry should he fall to death during a mission or a disease and he had made the same vow…

Alla blinked. "Pardon me…the woman?" She did not mean to sound so dull-witted but one moment he was talking about Bulma, the next about some woman.

"You fool! Who else do you think we are talking about!" Vegeta snapped, seeming to have lost all patience. "I should just kill you now—"

"No! I apologize." Alla held out her hands protectively in front of herself. "Miss Bulma, she—she is going to dinner with someone named Yamcha but where I do not know," she responded fleetingly.

A low growl emitted from his throat at the mention of Yamcha, Bulma's good friend. Sure, Yamcha was polite enough and showed Vegeta much respect, mostly because of his status back then as Prince and Knight, but Vegeta despised any man who came too close to Bulma. Even now in his changed life, which was for the better, in his opinion. "Anything else?"

"Just that she needs someone to watch her daughter for the evening." Alla replied, searching her memory at the same time. Weren't Jedi supposed to protect, preserve, and not threaten? 'Wait! He must be…' It had been a long time since she had checked the data banks and even harder to find documents on the Sith since there was only one remaining with a small amount of information. They'd been destroyed long ago…hadn't they? "You are a Sith," she stated plainly, ready to transform just in case, regardless of the consequences of such a move. If you were desperate, you would do anything and Alla wasn't quite ready to leave the universe just yet.

"How observant." Vegeta's sarcasm was blatant. He debated over whether he should really kill her. If he did, it would draw too much attention from the Jedi Order because of some of the relations to Bulma and he hadn't fully formed his plan yet…

'Hang on…'

_"Just that she needs someone to watch her daughter for the evening."_

'A daughter…' Vegeta was not stupid. He knew he had fathered one child, at least, and he knew he had a son, but was it possible he could have sired another, before he left? Or had Bulma…?

It was at that time in which Alla chose to run away, instantly transforming into a Nek Battle Dog in case the Sith Prince tried to attack her for real though she was certain he'd have her in a second with a swipe of the lightsaber. 'Better to have tried to stay alive.' Snarling, Alla took off down the hallway, leaving her belongings behind, surprised when Vegeta did not follow.

"Darn her," Vegeta muttered, still pondering over the whole 'Do I have a daughter?' issue. "Oh well. She is not worth it." He knew she wouldn't say anything. He could sense, even smell the fear he had instilled in her. Besides, it would draw unnecessary awareness to the Technological Center, and because Bulma worked there, his old friend, now enemy, Kakarott, would be suspicious. He was sure that one of them had to have felt his massive power outburst when he had attempted something he hadn't before.

He had to reach Juuhachigou as soon as possible. She had information for him as well as the sharp wits to capture a certain somebody…

* * *

Krillin waited in the Hangar of the Jedi Temple for Trunks and ChiChi. ChiChi was going to baby-sit Bra while Bulma was out. Trunks stubbornly refused to be baby-sat, insisting he would be fine. Trunks was going to be going to bed anyway, exhausted by the day's amount of training. Bra did not have to go to bed yet, at least not for a few more hours. Goten had wanted to accompany his mother but ChiChi sent him to bed already. Goku and Gohan had also gone to sleep, so Krillin had volunteered to take ChiChi to Bulma's place and to go back for her. 

When Krillin saw ChiChi and Trunks emerge from the side doors, he hopped into the pilot's side of the speeder and started it up. Eyelids drooping, Trunks followed his best friends' mother at a snail's pace. "Hurry, Trunks, your mother is waiting!" ChiChi spoke urgently to the son of Bulma. "Come on now!"

"Sorry." Trunks jumped into the backseat and put on his crash webbing.

"All set?" Krillin asked, and at ChiChi's nod, he guided the speeder out of the hangar and into open air, turning in the direction of the apartment building where Bulma lived.

Pleasant conversation and nearby starships were the only sounds that filled Trunks' ears as he lazily gazed out at the air traffic and dozens of skyscrapers and buildings. The nightlife was awakening; Coruscant never seemed to rest.

Suddenly, a vehicle with a similar design to the swoop bike, passed by at an extremely fast rate. "Whoa!" Krillin watched as the crazy pilot disappeared from view.

"My goodness!" ChiChi shook her head. "That numbskull almost hit us!" The raven-haired woman turned to Krillin. "How come you didn't use your Jedi senses and get us further out of the way!" she snapped.

"I'm sorry ChiChi!" Krillin replied, a little bit nervous of the wife of Goku. "It came out of nowhere! These things do happen, you know…" Sighing in relief, as his last comment seemed to have sufficed the fiery-tempered woman, he directed his attention back to flying.

"That was strange," Trunks muttered, blue eyes darting from one place to the next. Both he and Krillin, who mostly concentrated on getting to the apartment building safely, had sensed a disturbance in the Force at the same time the crazed pilot bypassed them.

* * *

Soundlessly, Vegeta recited the Sith code as he waited in the shady Cantina in the lower levels of Coruscant. 

_There is no fear, there is power.  
There is no death, there is immortality.  
There is no weakness, there is the Dark Side.  
I am the Heart of Darkness.  
I know no fear,  
But rather I instill it in my enemies.  
I am the destroyer of worlds.  
I know the power of the Dark Side.  
I am the fire of hate.  
All the Universe bows before me.  
I pledge myself to the Darkness.  
For I have found true life,  
In the death of the light._

* * *

**End of Chapter 1 of 3. There are only 3 chapters in Revelation. There will be definitely more in Recovery, Redemption, & Reconciliation.**

**A/N: Now that the cliché sayings & intro chapter is over, here are some things you should know. Yamcha is a good person. He's no cheating scum & both he and Bulma are not romantically interested in each other. I simply do not believe in character/dub bashing. ****The main characters are Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, Bra, Bulma, Gohan, & Goku. Rest assured, ChiChi, Launch, Tien, Videl, Yamcha, Krillin, 18, Piccolo, Dende, & other minor characters like Bardock & King Vegeta, will play very important roles as well so expect most of them, excluding the latter two, to be in the story frequently. **

**Please review! Don't judge the fic because it's Star Wars, or something else like that. Give it a chance! ****Also, please make sure you read all A/N's before reading. Generally they are very short once I get into the story. The only time they are long is at the beginning of a story. ****Chi power and blasts have not been mentioned yet for a reason. I wrote this months ago before I became excited again about Revenge of the Sith. **


	2. Disturbances

**A/N: Don't own DBZ or SW. Here is C2 of 3. I forgot to mention it in the first chapter but thank you to my beta reader, Caorann fridh Bronach! ****The flashbacks won't be there as much in the rest of the stories. They are more frequent in Revelation for a purpose.**

* * *

Night was quickly coming into place, but Coruscant did not seem to change. Hundreds of starships, speeders, air taxis, and many more whizzed and swerved in and out of traffic, landing and taking to the air, carrying and dropping off passengers. Thousands of humans and aliens alike flooded the corridors and walkways, each heading to their own destinations with their own intentions whether they be good or of evil. There were the well dressed, the unfortunate, the revealing and baggy clothing, those who wanted to be seen and those who preferred to remain unseen. There was a very real possibility of becoming lost within seconds if one did not go with the flow. Very few showed any kindness or friendliness. It was each one for himself or herself. Nobody cared about the next person, which was the main reason a certain droid could go unnoticed by everyone. A certain droid en route to a secret meeting, having come from the Jedi Temple, where it had gone unnoticed as well, brushed off as being another droid sent to do a task. 

The short R2 unit, known as R2-E3, rolled along the metallic pathway at a leisurely pace. It had no other choice; it could not go any faster. The droid beeped and whistled to itself, and made rude noises whenever someone bumped into it or pushed it aside. Small lights flashed from the droid but they, too, were shrugged off, blending into the larger flashes of colorful lights from the many cantinas and restaurants surrounding one of the main walkways.

At last, R2-E3 took a sharp left into the darkness, down a ramp leading to who knew where. Its destination had already been programmed into its databanks by another controller, but not of the Jedi Temple: Juuhachigou, well-known bounty hunter in the galaxy who stopped at nothing to capture her prize. It was because of being half-android, made by Dr. Gero, she was able to have access to any machinery or technology to control droid units and robots made by Gero Machinery. After being healed, she was horrified to see her artificial limbs and in her blind rage, she ended up killing him. That, too, shocked her, more so than being told she was basically half-robot.

Now someone else was in charge of Gero Machinery, someone who allied the company with the female bounty hunter, afraid to suffer the same fate. Unable to return to her old job because of being thought of as dead, Juuhachigou, her new name, decided to work as a bounty hunter. She cut her blonde hair to shoulder-length, stripped herself of her old birth name and simply became known as Android 18. With her newly-endowed strength, no one got in her way or escaped her. Especially if there was a high price involved.

The droid came to a stop in the middle of a darkened area, the only light coming from a nearby Cantina. Beeping, the droid detected a life form behind it. The detection was slightly faint because Juuhachigou was only half-human now. Dressed in a tight-fitting navy flight suit, armed with many weapons, the blonde huntress leaned down and inserted a small disk into an opening. Then she downloaded the recorded conversation between Trunks and Goten and other bits of information the droid had obtained from just being around the lavender-haired boy.

Once the download was complete, Android 18 took the disk out and put inside a pocket located in the inner lining of her suit. Taking out her blaster, she aimed at the droid and shut it down, permanently. The impact of the blast sent the droid, still beeping in surprise, over the edge. She had no more use for it.

It was time to meet with the Sith warrior.

The Saiyan Prince had contacted her while she was on Cloud City, Bespin, and had informed her of the job, promising to double her pay if she left her current bounty to do what he demanded of her. The sound of more pay definitely caught her ears and so she left Cloud City, her starship being the _Fire Hawk_.

The first she saw of him, well, _some_ of him, was when he told her the first part of her assignment, through a holo-letter. A hood had been thrown over his face, his arms hidden within, and he spoke in a deep, intimidating voice. The Sith warrior wanted her to send a droid to the Jedi Temple to collect any information concerning a boy named Trunks. Android 18 asked no questions and did what was required and expected of her. And now that she had completed the first part, it was time to meet him for the second and final part of her assignment.

The bounty hunter smoothly made her way through the thick crowd, heading for the largest Cantina on the main walkway. Her ears filling with many voices in different languages, Juuhachigou stepped inside, her ice blue eyes scanning the place for any sign of security guards. Security guards were placed almost in almost every public facility, but nobody paid any attention to them. Some of them weren't even doing their job, so they obviously didn't see any need. On Coruscant, you could get away with a lot of things…

Clicking her tongue, 18 spotted a lone figure in the north dark corner of the Cantina, sitting in a booth. Satisfied, the bounty hunter began to make her way over there, ignoring the few stares and loud cheers and drunkenness of the Cantina's inhabitants. It was indeed a place for scoundrels, drunks, and any other lowlife. No wonder the Sith wanted to meet her in here. Nobody would suspect him.

Sliding into the booth across from him, 18 wasted no time. "What and when?" she asked curtly, pretending to stare at the servers and customers.

Vegeta did not waste time either. Clearly he had already forgotten about the daughter issue. There was only one person he wanted. "Capture the boy, Trunks, and bring him to me. I'll be waiting here. By now, he should be on his way back to the Sharlon Towers, ten standard minutes from here," he responded, giving the name of the apartment building. His grip on the glass of Randoni Yellow Plague, tightened.

"Done." 18 was about to stand up when Vegeta grabbed her arm.

"A Jedi will no doubt be accompanying them," he told her as a precaution, dark eyes glittering dangerously from beneath his hood. "Don't underestimate whoever it is."

"Humph." 18 jerked her arm away and stalked toward the entrance.

Vegeta took his glass and dumped it into an empty glass nearby. He had no intentions of actually consuming the drink he had ordered. He did no such things…and besides, the drink he had ordered was very strong. The bartender must've thought him to be a risk-taker or simply foolish. Anyway, he had only bought the drink in order to keep unwanted eyes away from his presence. To them, he would appear on the outside a loner of a customer, buying a drink to drown his sorrows in. Little did they know that he was no ordinary customer; if they had known his true identity, their own fear may have paralyzed them.

With a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, he headed towards a backdoor and disappeared into the night.

* * *

"But Mommy, you promised me a bedtime story!" Bra whined as Bulma brushed her own hair carefully, deciding to wear it down, long and flowing. Smoothing the wrinkles in her navy blue dress, Bulma thought about how much she looked forward to this evening. The burden of being a single parent and having nearly no time to see her children and other adults was tough. Dinner with a friend would be relaxing and then she would be home to her two children. 

"I know, sweetie, but something came up. I promise, I will tell you tomorrow night," Bulma answered absentmindedly, her eyes on the control pad at the side of the door. Yamcha was going to be picking her up anytime soon and Trunks was still not back. "Oh, what is taking them so long?" she muttered, feeling the hunger pains in her stomach. Bulma was famished and longed for a good meal.

The whooshing sound of a door opening brought her attention away from the hall mirror to the entrance. "Bulma!" ChiChi called, a friendly smile lighting up the woman's face. "How are you?" she asked seriously, her smile disappearing. "I do hope you've been well."

"Oh yes, thank you, ChiChi," Bulma answered, flashing ChiChi one of her famous smiles she reserved for the HoloNet reporters. "I am doing fine. I have been very busy these days, as you know, and frankly, I'm exhausted!" Bulma sighed. "Thank you for coming over. How's my little boy?"

"Mom…" Trunks frowned at his mother, wishing she wouldn't refer to him as her little boy. For crying out loud, he was almost _ten years old_!

"Trunks almost beat Goten today in lightsaber training!" Krillin announced with a grin. "It was amazing to watch the sons of the two strongest Jedi Knights in the universe go at it."

"Lightsaber training!" Bulma nearly shrieked. "Are you sure he's ready for that? I mean, Trunks is only nine — he's too young for a lightsaber!"

Anger boiled up inside and Trunks had to use all of his willpower to force it back down. Why was he always treated like he was five? Granted, he was still a child but he was more than able to handle a lightsaber. He was Vegeta's son after all…

"That's exactly what I said!" ChiChi chimed in, wholeheartedly agreeing with Bulma. "But no, Goku and the Council are too stubborn to back down from their decision!"

"You got to use a lightsaber, Trunks?" Bra asked, wide-eyed. "Mommy, why can't I use a lightsaber! Trunks got to!" she whined, tugging on her mother's dress.

"Bra, stop that," Bulma said. "Anyway, where is Yamcha—"

"Hi!" Yamcha greeted everyone as he stepped into the apartment. Bulma had given him (as well as all her good friends) the code to her living quarters. "Hey Krillin, good to see you!" Yamcha had also met Bulma's friends, who had quickly become his friends as well. The only exception was Vegeta, who had remained isolated from nearly everyone. "And hello, ChiChi, Bra, Trunks." He nodded at each one with a smile.

"Hello Yamcha."

"Hi Uncle Yamcha!"

"Hi."

"Sorry to break up the party here," Bulma began, "but we've got to be going. Trunks, Bra, be good and listen to Aunt ChiChi." The blue-haired woman reached for her purse and coat. "Thanks ChiChi. Bye!" She waved and exited the apartment, Krillin and Yamcha close behind her.

When the trio reached the lobby, they split up, each saying their good-byes, and went on their way. However, Krillin paused before taking off. "Hmm…" he murmured, sensing a small disturbance in the Force…

* * *

"_Hey, Vegeta, what are you doing here?" eighteen-year-old Goku asked. The tall Saiyan was curious as to why his fellow student, Vegeta, was in the Jedi Library, of all places, standing by the window, silent. "I thought you'd be sneaking out again to meet Bulma—" _

_Nineteen-year-old Vegeta turned abruptly from the window, shooting him a glare. "Kakarott!" he hissed._

"_Oops! Sorry," Goku grinned sheepishly, hoping no one had heard. He gave a quick glance around, seeing nobody. It was night and the Library was dimly lit, a perfect time for anyone to hide within the shadows. But then, there was no reason to for anyone in the Jedi Temple. Anyone, that is, except for Vegeta. "Why are you in here though? You hardly come here!"_

_Ignoring the question, Vegeta demanded, "Why aren't you sleeping?" _

"_Can't." Goku joined Vegeta at the window. "I keep having strange dreams plus I'm a little anxious to go on to my next mission."_

"_Anticipation is a distraction," Vegeta stated, blankly, one of the teachings of the Jedi. "The Council has already informed Zaturn and I of our next mission. You and Roshi are going with us." _

_Vegeta rarely called Zaturn "Master" in public. Zaturn was a serious, expressionless Jedi Master of warrior descent (from one of the sixty-three planets in the Hapes Cluster), one who recognized Vegeta's abilities by the time he was eleven, and immediately took the young Prince as his apprentice. Furthermore, Zaturn was about the only one, besides Goku, who could handle Vegeta's temper and attitude better than most. He was not harsh as Piccolo, the great Jedi Master, or as eccentric as Roshi, who was as eccentric as they come. _

_Zaturn was one of the very few people Vegeta tolerated and considered a somewhat friend. _

"_Really?" Goku nearly squeaked. "Oh wow! Vegeta, you and I get to work together again!" Though very different from one another, the two Saiyans worked well as a team even if Vegeta didn't like it very much._

"_I'm ecstatic," Vegeta muttered and returned his attention to the window. _

"_Yeah, I know!" Goku grinned, completely oblivious to his fellow Padawan's sarcasm._

_A few moments of silence passed by as Goku stared at the city while Vegeta stared past the city itself, lost in thought. "Kakarott…" Vegeta began, hesitantly. _

_A single feeling._

"_Hmm?" Goku's ears perked up at the sound of Vegeta's voice or rather his tone. Only once in awhile would Vegeta actually start a civilized conversation with Goku. _

"_What is…power, true power, to you?" Vegeta inquired, still entranced by his own thoughts. _

"_Power?" Goku echoed and turned his gaze to his rival. "Jedi do not seek power but peace."_

"_I know that!" Vegeta snapped irritably. "But what if the knowledge of power had to be obtained in order to keep the peace? If the Jedi Order is all about seeking understanding of the Force and maintaining order in this corrupt galaxy…" Vegeta's voice trailed off._

_Goku leaned forward slightly. "Go on."_

_Vegeta's brow knitted, his black bangs falling into his obsidian eyes as he brought his eyes to the windowsill. "Can not obtaining a greater power be justified by this claim, this, this _rule_?" he spat, not liking the sound of that. It only enhanced the thought of being a caged animal, which Vegeta sometimes felt like. _

"_That's a good question," Goku nodded but then offered a small smile. "But, isn't wanting power a way to the Dark Side?"_

"_Who's to say the Dark Side is wrong? What if the Force is not all black and white?" _

_One burning desire._

"_Huh? Vegeta!" Goku was truly shocked. "What—how…?" How could Vegeta entertain such thoughts? "The Force is—I mean, the Light Side of the Force is the one and only right way!" he exclaimed._

"_Spoken like a true Jedi." Vegeta's lips curled up in a small smirk. "I'm not going over to the Dark Side, you moron." At Goku's sigh of relief, he continued, "I am merely contemplating our purpose in life. If the way of the Jedi is to become wiser, stronger in mind and spirit, and to ensure peaceful times…" He took a deep breath. "Then why set aside other ways to reach this goal? After all, it would inevitably lead to greater understanding…" Vegeta watched Goku's reaction from the corner of his eye. "Besides, what is wrong with power and strength? We are Saiyans, Kakarott, and I'm the Prince of all Saiyans! We are a strong and respected race. A_ strong_…and respected race," Vegeta finished softly._

_The flame ignited. _

_There was silence, and then, "Yeah, that could lead to greater understanding, but I still say we follow the Light Side's ways." Goku's mind was still stuck on the "understanding" part. "But, Vegeta, you really aren't thinking of doing…that, are you?" he asked timidly, seeing the blazing fire in Vegeta's eyes. _

_Goku knew his friend had always tried to be the stronger of the two and you never could tell with Vegeta. _

"_No," Vegeta replied stiffly, "and I know you won't say anything to anyone of our conversation. Am I correct, Kakarott?" Vegeta placed his hands behind his back and headed for the side door, a shortcut to the Jedi quarters of the Temple._

"_I…I won't, Vegeta," Goku responded quietly, hoping it was just a phase Vegeta was going through._

"_Good."_

"Dad!"

His eldest son, Gohan, brought Goku out of his reverie. Blinking, the son of Bardock realized he had been daydreaming, or rather re-living an old memory of years gone by. "Huh? Oh, hi, Gohan. What's up?" he asked and then noticed there was someone standing beside his son. "Videl! What a nice surprise!" Goku grinned, noting the young daughter of the famous but loud restaurant owner, Hercule. Videl had shown tremendous strength and Force abilities and had been taken to the Temple at age three, much to Hercule's reluctance, as much as the man liked to brag about being good friends with the Jedi and being the next strongest man in the galaxy.

"Hello Master Goku." Videl bowed her head with a faint smile. She was the same age as Gohan and was a friend of his.

"Dad, Videl and I were wondering if you would supervise our sparring match - before we go to bed - with lightsabers - low-powered lightsabers," Gohan asked, adding the last part in haste. "Unless of course you have something planned." Gohan was not sure if his father had been called to the Council for a new assignment. Then again, if he had, Gohan would have accompanied him.

"Sure!" Goku nodded enthusiastically. "You two probably don't need the practice but still, it never hurts to practice anyway," Goku told them as they began to walk down the hallway, passing by a few droids and padawans. "Say," Goku started, "what are your thoughts on power, Gohan? Videl?" Goku didn't know how or why but the words had formed themselves on his lips before he even knew he was going to ask a question.

"Hmm?" Gohan frowned, wondering why his father was asking such a question.

"I've heard my master say that having more power could help obtain peace and order in the galaxy," Videl answered quickly, "but he also said it could lead to selfishness and pride, to anger and fear…"

They all knew what those feelings could lead to.

"Who is your master, Videl?" Videl had been chosen a few weeks before her thirteenth birthday but Gohan and Goku had already gone on their first mission together during that time so Goku had no idea who was teaching Videl. "Is it Tien, maybe Aidan? Nah, they're both on the council. Is Aulura Wynsine your master?"

"No," Videl responded, "Master Zaturn Ukyulosei."

Goku nearly did a double take. 'Zaturn?' Goku thought, genuinely surprised. "Haha! What a coincidence!" Goku laughed nervously. "My old friend Vegeta had Zaturn for his master. How old is Zaturn now anyway?"

"Uh…" Videl was a little taken aback by Goku's sudden laughter. "He's in his late forties, I think," she answered.

Goku stopped laughing as he remembered Vegeta's master. Thinking of Zaturn brought back the flashback of his talk with Vegeta in the Jedi Library. Goku hadn't seen Vegeta all day but had seen Zaturn rush out of his room, clutching some type of object, like a data pad. Goku hadn't thought much of it and still hadn't thought much of it when Vegeta had been declared a Knight two years later, a week before Goku was. And Goku hadn't thought much of it when Vegeta had talked about the legendary Super Saiyan, a story told to children on Planet Vegeta. And finally, Goku hadn't thought much of Zaturn's expression of worry when Vegeta disappeared three years after he married Bulma.

Now, he did.

Goku sighed as he followed Videl and Gohan into the training room. Oh yes, thinking of Zaturn had indeed brought back the flashback of that strange talk with Vegeta, prompting the remembrance of his dream—no, it was more like a nightmare…

_The heat was intense and it felt so real upon his skin. Sweat glistened and fires burned. _

_His vision was blurry but his hearing worked fine, a little too fine._

"_I'm sorry!" that same voice he had heard in his dreams for the past sixteen years cried out. "But it's the only way!" It sounded resigned, determined, and sad…but brave. Goku could not see who it was. _

"_No!" another agonizing voice, this time beside him instead of far away, called out desperately. Goku could not see this person either. Only one voice was familiar while the other foreign._

"_Farewell…"_

* * *

"Welcome, welcome, welcome! Welcome to my humble, extravagant restaurant, which is rated four stars by the way, you know!" boomed the unmistakable voice of Hercule. "Welcome Ms. Briefs! Welcome, uh…welcome Ms. Brief's escort!" 

"Heh, heh." Yamcha ducked his head slightly in embarrassmentas Bulma led the way into the restaurant.

"Hello, Hercule." Bulma had become acquainted with the restaurant owner when he had come to the Jedi Temple to see his "little Videl". Bulma had been there to drop off Bra for her weekly training and clearly remembered the look of embarrassment on Videl's face. "Give us a table by the windows, please."

"Certainly!" Hercule pushed aside the waiter who was to serve them and took the menus himself, eager to please the famous Briefs woman. "We have a special this evening of which I'm sure you'll enjoy! Nerf sausage served with—"

"Ugh! I hate Nerf sausage," Bulma commented with distaste. "Do you have any other specials?"

"Um, I'll have that special," Yamcha told Hercule who gave a quick nod.

"Alright sir." Hercule then proceeded to inform Bulma of the numerous specials he just happened to have for the evening. Thankfully, Bulma stopped him after the tenth special and indicated which one she desired. "I'll get them to you as soon as possible!" he assured his guests and then took off towards the kitchen.

Yamcha vaguely wondered how getting their meals "as soon as possible" could be accomplished when the place was packed.

"So, how have you been?" Bulma asked.

"Not too bad," Yamcha replied, glancing out the window at the air traffic. "When I'm not standing around doing nothing - a.k.a. protecting your mother even though there haven't been any attempts - I've been reading up on cultures and civilizations in the galaxy. I'm thinking of traveling the galaxy like I did before I came here. Anyway I came across the most fascinating and strangest thing that I have ever heard. Tell me, Bulma, have you ever heard of the Dragonballs?"

"Dragon-what?" Bulma raised an eyebrow. "I've heard of Dragons; they reside on Xsanoff, a planet little ways from the Corellian system. There are very few settlements there as people are afraid of the Dragons. They are fierce-looking but actually very gentle if not approached in a hostile manner and…" Bulma was definitely smart—it was as if she were quoting an entire database.

"Uh, yeah," Yamcha interrupted her, "but back to the Dragonballs. I've only seen one image of them but they are orange-colored spheres with stars on them, one star for the first Dragonball, two for the second one, and so on. There are seven in total and are rumored to be able to grant wishes."

"Preposterous!" Bulma scoffed, smirking. "Yamcha, I've heard of no such thing and frankly, nothing that powerful could possibly exist."

"You believe in the Force though, don't you?" Yamcha questioned intently. "It's a matter of believing in what you can't see. Blind faith. I've seen Goku, Krillin and even Vegeta use it at some point. I've seen remarkable things in my travels and research, Bulma. And if you believe that the Force exists, I wouldn't rule this possibility out yet."

An awkward silence descended over the table amidst the noisy atmosphere.

With a sigh, Bulma began to speak. "Yamcha…I believe in the Force. I do. I've seen it through my own…husband, and even through my children, but…if these Dragonballs can grant wishes, how come I've never heard of them till now?"

"The Dragonballs are hidden throughout the galaxy and only a handful of people have been able to find them all since the beginning of Time. The planet Xsanoff, as the data stated, holds the four-star Dragonball, the only one that always returns to its origins. That way, whoever is brave enough can start there and maybe…I don't know, construct a Dragonball radar or something. I don't know how they did it way back then, but you'd have to be a genius or something to do that," Yamcha finished.

"Very well then," Bulma said, smiling. "I'm a genius. I could design a Dragonball radar and we could go look for all seven!"

Yamcha chuckled. "I don't doubt that but you'd actually leave everything behind to search for them? And anyway, what would you wish for?"

Bulma frowned. "I don't know…but you're right, I don't think I could leave everything behind for an indefinite period of time to find them. I have a lot to do right now."

"Here you are!" Hercule seemed to appear out of thin air, bearing two trays of delicious-looking food. "Was that fast or what? Ha, ha, ha!"

* * *

"All right now, it's time for you to go to bed!" ChiChi stood up from her spot on the deep auburn-colored couch. "Both of you. I know for a fact that you, Bra, are going to be training tomorrow, and Trunks, you need your rest as well. Come on now!" 

"But I wanna stay up longer!" Bra whined.

"Your mother wants you in bed by this time."

"Aw, but I—"

"Bra!" Trunks' voice rang out sharply. "Just do it!"

Bra's lower lip began to quiver. Her brother never yelled at her…

"Trunks! Don't you raise your voice," ChiChi ordered, hands on her hips. "My kids don't—"

"Whatever," Trunks mumbled and stalked off towards his room. Everyone was on his case! Why couldn't they just leave him alone! He was old enough; he could do anything!

In fact, Vegeta had acted the same way when he was younger but he didn't bottle it in like Trunks did.

"Well!" ChiChi shook her head and took Bra's hand. "Oh, he didn't mean it," she spoke in a soothing voice to the young girl with tears streaming down her face. "He's just in a bad mood."

"I am not," Trunks muttered, listening from behind his door, already feeling the guilt fill his heart. "I'm sorry, Bra, I really am." He honestly didn't know whatever possessed him to yell at his little sister, a little girl who depended on him.

"Is Trunks mad at me?" he heard her ask.

"No! Don't worry about it, Bra." Their voices became muffled as they entered Bra's room. No doubt ChiChi was going to tell her some kind of bedtime story.

'Maybe she could tell Bra about how Mom and Dad met.' Trunks sighed.

* * *

"Boy, that was a good meal." Yamcha patted his stomach as he and Bulma stepped out onto the main platform of the restaurant, directly east of where his speeder, and other speeders, was parked. "Did you enjoy yours?" 

"It wasn't too bad," Bulma remarked, remembering the ever-annoying Hercule, who constantly returned to their table to check on everything.

As the two continued to chat, one pair of sinister-looking eyes watched from behind the lonely pillars of the parking area.

"Didn't take her long to find someone else," Vegeta muttered icily, obviously misinterpreting the friendship between Bulma and Yamcha. Many people did - mostly the paparazzi for the HoloNet. Nobody listened to the facts.

Vegeta watched the two as they approached Yamcha's speeder. He had forgotten how beautiful Bulma was…

'Blast it,' Vegeta snarled softly to himself.

He had loved Bulma, once. He was a warrior of the Dark Side now. That past he had shared with her…that past he had with the Light Side, was history. There was only one thing to do and that was to wait until Android 18 contacted him, alerting him that she had captured her bounty. Vegeta would have gone himself but his presence would have been too suspicious for the security guards at Sharlon Towers. Juuhachigou had her ways and it was best not to alarm the whole place or the Senate either if they found out about the Jedi's fears (Vegeta knew they had to have sensed the darkness). That time would come later.

'There has always been a master and an apprentice,' Vegeta thought. No one would get in his way and if they tried…no matter who they were, he would kill them.

* * *

A strikingly beautiful woman dressed in rich red, regal-looking robes blended in with all the other well-dressed souls. This was no surprise; after all, Sharlon Towers was home to famous, wealthy and even powerful people. And it was also no surprise that the throng of politicians, scientists, and celebrities did not notice the strange woman. Nobody really paid attention to visitors, of which the woman identified herself as. The guards maybe did, and they certainly gave her attention. There didn't seem to be anything threatening about her, though, so they let her enter the Towers. 

However, had they searched her, just in case, they may have found themselves face to face with an unfriendly, hard metal object…

* * *

Aidan Bok never started conversations. He usually finished them. He wasn't much of a talker or an outgoing person. Aidan had a friendly sort of smile that put others at ease, even if it wasn't bright enough to light up a room as Goku's. Aidan wasn't a master of the lightsaber or a master of the Force as Piccolo was. What Aidan was, was a keeper of Jedi lore. He knew where information on any subject was located within the Jedi Library. Only six years older than Goku, he spent most of his time in the Library, helping and teaching others. He also had a spot on the Jedi Council, noted for his ability to look deep within a person and discover their fears and capabilities. This often happened in the first part of the Jedi Trials. 

Aidan had been present at many of the spars between Goku and Vegeta and even then he had sensed the troubles that Vegeta had struggled with, day to day, and had come across them once more in Vegeta's son, Trunks. Aidan knew Trunks would have to confront these feelings, hopefully not in the way Vegeta had. Aidan was about the only one who had suspected Vegeta had gone over to the Dark Side. There simply was no other explanation. Many disagreed with him since no one felt a new power of darkness growing. But Aidan didn't need to. He had seen it coming.

You see, Aidan was also gifted with visions of the future and had seen a battle between himself and Vegeta, eleven months after Vegeta's disappearance. Obviously it had been no friendly sparring match for Vegeta wielded a blood-red blade.

Aidan had seen his own death.

But he had also seen someone else nearby – a flash of purple hair. Aidan knew of only one person with lavender hair.

The question still stood to this day: was Trunks an ally or an enemy?

The Jedi Knight sighed, holding his head in his hands. This same vision had occurred again only a few minutes ago. Something terrible was to happen – a disturbance in the Force, a small ripple, an undeniable bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Something had to be done and Aidan knew just the person to go to who would know because the vision had shown two people very dear to that person: Goku.

* * *

ChiChi sat on the couch, watching a late program, sipping on a warm drink. Her husband or Krillin would be back soon to pick her up and Bulma and Yamcha would be returning soon, that she knew. Bulma had just contacted her ten minutes ago. They were on their way. 

"At Hercule's, you can always expect to have a scrumptious and tasty meal! Ha! Ha! Ha! I am the best! Come on over to—"

ChiChi muted the commercial. "My goodness, Videl's father can be quite annoying…oh!" With a twinkle in her eyes and a big smile, ChiChi squealed, "I can't wait until Gohan and Videl grow up and get married! I want grandchildren!" ChiChi knew of the rules forbidding marriage but Goku had married her and why couldn't Gohan marry Videl? Forget all the rules – ChiChi wanted to be a grandmother!

Lost in thoughts, ChiChi failed to notice the door in the hall opening…

"I'll bake them lots and lots of –eek!" ChiChi shrieked when a hand touched her shoulder. "Bra, I told you to go to bed—oh!" She gasped. "Who are you and how did you get inside?" she demanded, glaring at the blonde woman.

"I apologize but I am one of Bulma Brief's assistants," the brunette in red answered blankly.

ChiChi frowned. The only assistant she had met was Alla. "You haven't told me why you are here."

"I have finished some reports she needed."

"Oh, really? Well it just so happens that Bulma Briefs is not here at the moment and she didn't tell me of anyone dropping over." ChiChi brushed past the woman towards the table in the hall. "Maybe she left a message—" Before ChiChi could finish her sentence, she was knocked out cold, her body hitting floor and the table. Blood seeped from a cut caused by the sharp corner of a vase of Nabooian flowers that had fallen from the table, colliding with her head.

"And that takes care of that," Juuhachigou stated, pulling off her wig.

Down the adjacent hall in the room to the left, Trunks sat up instantly, sensing something amiss through the Force and hearing the crash. "What the…?" Trunks flung his legs over the side of the bed and became very still, listening for any more strange sounds.

"Aunt ChiChi?" Bra was still up!

"Blaster bolts!" Trunks cursed and jumped to his feet, knowing more than ever that something was indeed wrong.

A blood-curdling scream filled the air and was suddenly cut short.


	3. Shattered

**A/N: I do not own DBZ or SW (which includes Aidan Bok). Thank you to Caorann fridh Bronach for beta reading.****'…thoughts…'**

* * *

"Move your feet – yes that's it! Videl, you're doing great. Better watch out, Gohan, or Videl might beat you this time!" Goku chuckled as Gohan and Videl battled furiously in the training room. 

"You can do it, Gohan!" Goten cheered, grinning like no tomorrow.

"Videl, do not think of winning," Tien called out, sensing Videl's determination to be the winner. "Jedi do not concern themselves with winning."

Videl's persistent, offensive moves and Gohan's steady, defensive style clashed, both amazing to watch.

Krillin smiled and turned to Goku and said, "Don't you think you had better go pick up ChiChi?"

"ChiChi?" Goku slapped his forehead. "That's right! I, er, kind of forgot," he replied, grinning sheepishly. "Don't tell her, okay?"

"Goku!"

The duel ceased and all eyes were upon Aidan who appeared to be unnerved as he stood in the open doorway.

"Aidan, what's wrong?" Krillin asked, concern written all over his face.

"Goku," Aidan repeated, ignoring the question and all other questioning looks thrown his way. "There is a great disturbance in the Force," he explained gravely. "You must find Trunks – now!"

"Trunks?" Goku echoed. "I was about to leave to go for ChiChi. Do you want me to bring Trunks back here? What for?" The tall Saiyan stood up, running a hand through his unruly, black spiked hair.

"I sense it too," Tien broke in with an intense look of concentration. "The Dark Side is growing stronger. Piccolo's vision…Goku, another Jedi should accompany you," he advised sternly, his three eyes upon the younger man.

"That would be wise," Aidan whispered. Should he volunteer? The flash of purple hair…there was no telling of Trunks' age in the vision. The future was always in motion.

"Why, what's wrong?" Gohan asked, not quite as attuned to the Force as the masters were. He wanted to help them.

"Masters?" Videl coaxed when they did not answer. Her penetrating blue eyes searched each face, willing each one to speak the full truth soon. Never before had she seen the masters in such distress. Slightly nervous, she fingered her padawan braid that hung from her short, black hair.

"I'll go with you, Goku," Krillin offered, standing up and grabbing his cloak. Desperately, he called upon the Force to soothe his nerves.

Goku nodded. "All right."

* * *

Trunks burst into the main part of his home and stopped short when he saw his little sister's body sprawled across his Aunt ChiChi's, both unconscious, possibly…dead. 

No! He could not believe that – he _would _not.

Even so, anger welled up inside and he fought to keep it under control as he turned and stared straight into the eyes of Juuhachigou. "What have you done to them?" he demanded in an extremely calm voice, clenching and unclenching his fists.

Juuhachigou knew this boy had Jedi powers; setting a trap would have been pointless. She would have to confront him head on. "You're coming with me," she said flatly, hand resting on the handle of her blaster with the ease of an experienced hunter.

"No!" Trunks fired back, voice rising. "What have you done to them!" he repeated forcefully, trying his hardest to ignore the lump in his throat. Not out of sadness but out of his anger. It was soon apparent that he would not be able to control it any longer. Why should he keep it in check? It was natural to feel outraged at a person who was trying to make your life miserable…

Not missing a beat, Juuhachigou pulled out and pointed her blaster at the head of Bra. "As I said, you're coming with me," she echoed her earlier words mockingly though showing no emotion on the outside. On the inside, she was annoyed at this kid. 'What a boring assignment,' she thought, suppressing a yawn. Even if the boy was a Jedi-in-training, he wasn't showing any strength or any of his Force powers at the moment. Maybe he hadn't been trained enough. Either way he probably wouldn't have been able to hold a candle to her, much less a challenge.

Within seconds, before Juuhachigou could even blink, Trunks had snatched the blaster out of her hand with the Force and slammed it into the wall behind him, breaking it in two. The pieces of metal fell to the floor, creating a clamour.

Furious, Juuhachigou sprang forth, intent on capturing them before he could do anything else. She would have stunned him but the stun mode on the blaster was obviously damaged.

Utilizing quick reflexes, Trunks sidestepped and ran towards the females on the floor. Immediately, he spun around and held his arms out in front of him, Saiyan defense style, prepared to defend his sister and adoptive aunt.

But Juuhachigou was much too fast for the padawan. Perhaps against an experienced Jedi, Juu might have not stood a chance, but with Trunks…it was a piece of erui cake. She lashed out with her foot and her foot connected with the side of Trunks' head. Though the blow was not strong enough to hurt a half-Saiyan, it still did some harm.

Trunks fell to the floor, one hand rubbing the sore spot on his hand, dizzy for the moment. With a cry, he jumped to his feet and pushed Juu with his hands and the power of the Force. The blonde bounty hunter was thrown towards the window, crashing into the furniture.

Ashamed of actually being hit by a mere bounty hunter (in his opinion), Trunks dashed over to where Juu had fallen and prepared to dish out some kind of attack. Oh, if only he had a lightsaber! A flicker of annoyance crossed his face. Well, he would show them by capturing _her_ instead!

Inspired once more, Trunks ran forth until Juu shouted one word:

"Vegeta!"

Caught by surprise, Trunks barely managed to keep his balance as he had stopped abruptly. That was his father's name! What did she know of his father?

Taking no chances, Juu continued. "Your father – I know where he is and he is the reason why I have come," she said, standing up slowly, keeping a close eye on him.

"My father?" Trunks frowned. "You're lying! You can't possibly know my father!" he lashed out. Alas, despite his denial, he couldn't help but feel it in his heart and through the Force – it was the honest-to-goodness truth.

His heart sank.

"I am _not_ lying," Juuhachigou snapped, her blue eyes flashing. "You will come with me or I will do further harm to your brat sister and the woman."

Suddenly remembering Bra and ChiChi, Trunks felt a wave of sorrow come over him. He had not been strong enough to protect them, to sense the impending danger. Had he failed as Jedi apprentice? If the Temple found out, would _any_ master take him as a padawan learner before he turned thirteen?

Maybe he wasn't worthy of bearing the title "Jedi Knight".

"Well?" Juuhachigou pried, glaring at him.

Trunks swallowed hard.

* * *

"Goku! Krillin! What are both of you doing here?" Bulma asked as she and Yamcha reached the front doors of Sharlon Towers. 

"I'm going to check around the place," Krillin said. Without waiting for Goku to answer, Krillin disappeared into the night.

"Bulma." Goku sighed as he approached her. "Uh, Krillin decided to come along since he was bored. We're here to pick up ChiChi."

Bulma raised one eyebrow. "Krillin was bored? Strange…I didn't know the Jedi could feel boredom," she remarked, knowing Goku wasn't exactly telling the truth. "I didn't know they could lie, either. What is it, Goku?" she asked uneasily. "I know there's something wrong."

With a gulp, Goku knew that he could not hide it any longer. And she was right. Jedi did not lie and he had almost lied…but it was for her protection, in a way. He didn't want to worry her, but the little white lie was practically a mix of the Light and Dark…

"_Who's to say the Dark Side is wrong? What if the Force is not all black and white?"_

"Goku?" Bulma put her hand on his shoulder. "Goku, please tell me."

Had Vegeta been right? Was it possible that the Dark Side was stronger – Vegeta! Goku's eyes widened and suddenly he knew. "Trunks is in danger!" he blurted out.

"What?" Bulma gasped. "Are you sure?" She brought a hand to her chest, fearing the absolute worst.

'Krillin,' Goku sent a quick message to his friend through the Force, alerting Krillin to join him inside. Without answering Bulma, Goku activated the doors with the Force as he ran, anxious to get to Bulma's apartment as soon as possible. He had a bad feeling about this…

Feeling the sudden panic, Bulma let out a small cry, "My kids!" and, along with Yamcha, followed Goku.

* * *

A mixture of joy and anger…Trunks was unable to decide whether he was happy to know his father was alive and that he might see him…or if he was angry at his father for leaving. 

Maybe he ought to go with this bounty hunter and see Vegeta. Whether he was sad or seeing red, he would still be quite glad to see his father after so long… Boy, he'd surprise everyone even more if he showed up at the Jedi Temple with his father in tow! Then maybe he and Vegeta would be able to spend time together; Vegeta could take him on as an apprentice. Then Bra would be able to meet her father. Then his mother wouldn't be so miserable anymore…

"I…" Trunks' mouth felt dry. If this were the plan, to go and see his father and bring him back…then what was he waiting for? Why couldn't he get the words out? And why was he sensing such negative feelings inside of him? Was it so wrong to want to see someone you love?

"Decide now." Juuhachigou's voice was icy.

Trunks was going to deliver a snide reply when he felt the presence of Goku and of Krillin. What were they doing here? Did they know about his father? Would they try to stop him?

'No,' Trunks thought, 'that's silly. They can't stop me from seeing my father. They'd probably allow it…maybe they want to see him too.' Despite his inner reasoning, he knew it was just the opposite. Maybe it was the Force or his natural instincts, but he sensed trouble.

"The door is locked!" a voice proclaimed from the outside. "Oh, my gosh, Bra! Trunks!"

'Mom!' Trunks immediately felt guilty for worrying her so much. He wanted to say he was all right, that he was going to see Father! But, once again, his mouth failed him, the words resting upon his chapped lips.

"I'm taking you _now_ whether you like it or not," Juuhachigou announced, reaching for him.

His sudden irritation cured him swiftly of his dry mouth. "Just wait!" He slapped her hand away. "Just wait, I-"

Obviously wasting no time and sensing great danger, an emerald green blade suddenly emerged from the metal doors. Goku's lightsaber!

"Goku, my door!"

The blade stopped moving, still melting the metallic silver door. Bits of hot steel dropped to the rich, red carpet. "Well, do you want to get in or not?" sounded Goku's strangely impatient voice.

"Goku, forget about it!" came another voice, Krillin's. "Keep at it!" Outside, Krillin ran off for the turbolift that would take him to the top of Sharlon Towers.

"Trunks, are you in there?" Yamcha's voice now, sounding just as worried as Bulma's.

Trunks wanted to say yes… The desire to reassure his mother that everything was all right, that everything was under his control… Trunks wanted to say yes with everything he had…

No, everything was not under his control anymore. His insides ached at the realization that he could not handle himself anymore. He was unworthy.

"My little boy! My baby girl – ChiChi! Answer us, please!"

"_My little boy!"_

At that precise moment, Trunks made up his mind. It was the last straw. He didn't like being degraded; he was a little boy no longer. He was undeserving, unfit to be a proper Jedi. But he could change that. He would prove himself! The only way to do that was to free himself from anything holding him back. He had potential – he knew it. There just had to be another way to release that power within him…maybe his father knew how. "I'm sorry, Mom," Trunks whispered hoarsely although he knew she would not hear his finals words for her.

Convinced that Trunks had chosen to go with her, Juuhachigou slipped her comlink out of a pouch on her belt. "I've got him," she reported, and then placed it back in the pouch, grabbing another small device, and pressed a single button, activating her speeder.

"I'm sorry, Bra," he whispered once more, gazing upon his little sister's pale face. The young boy knew how much she looked up to him, how much she loved him.

"Come on." Juuhachigou grabbed his arm.

Trunks pulled his arm back, frowning, and then walked ahead of Juuhachigou, towards the window, knowing that would be her only way for escape…and his way too.

Gritting her teeth, Juu tried to refrain herself from hitting him as she waited for her transportation.

* * *

Completing the glowing circle, Goku stepped back and kicked at the door where the crude makings of a large hole now became visible. "Trunks?" he hollered, climbing inside. He held his crackling lightsaber in front, casting a soft, eerie green light around the room, showing him two, pallid faces. "ChiChi!" he cried and dashed over to the two fallen females. 

"Oh no, Bra!" Bulma screamed, having followed Goku through the hole immediately. "My baby!" She knelt down next to Goku, who was checking the vital signs of both. "Trunks! Trunks, where are you?" she yelled for her son.

Yamcha bit his lip at the sight and was about to join them when something caught his eye…

Goku normally would not have wasted time and would have immediately investigated the situation. But he…he couldn't. Instead, he lifted ChiChi into his arms, feeling her hair for any unseen cuts or bumps. "They're not dead," he told Bulma softly. "They both took a blow to the head."

"Trunks!" Bulma shouted, angry that her son was not in sight. "Blast it, Trunks, where are you?" she sobbed, holding her daughter close to her. She lifted Bra into her arms and scrambled for the lights. "Trunks!"

"Goku, Bulma!" Yamcha was at the windows, inspecting a smoothly cut square in the tinted glass. "Take a look at this!"

Bulma rushed right over, still cradling Bra in her arms. "Oh gosh, no, Trunks!" Fresh tears pooled over like a small stream as she buried her face in her daughter's hair. "Where is my little boy!" she demanded frantically.

"It looks like it's been cut by…" Yamcha struggled to remember the name. "Stars, I forget what they're called but it's been done by a…by a bounty hunter…" he trailed off, wishing he hadn't mentioned that little piece of information.

"A bounty hunter!" Bulma echoed, close to hysterics.

"Goku!" Krillin burst into the apartment. "A woman took off in a speeder with Trunks! They're headed west-"

"Krillin, take everyone back to the Temple. I'm going after them," Goku ordered firmly, laying ChiChi back down onto the carpet gently. Leaving no room for further argument, he left the apartment as fast as he could without another word.

It was then when Yamcha heard the low rumble of thunder, adding to his own anxiety. "A storm is coming," he whispered, almost as if he were telling a riddle…

* * *

In a narrow speeder built for two, Trunks sat behind Juuhachigou, trying to deal with the uncomfortable seating and the uncomfortable feelings inside of him. Half of him told him to go back, to catch this bounty hunter by surprise and capture her, to return to the Jedi Temple and tell them about his father. It would be the right thing to do; padawans were to leave the big guns to the knights and masters. They would know what to do. However, the other half of him was all for seeing his father and becoming all-powerful. If he sought training from his father, whom he believed to be the best Jedi in the galaxy, despite the fact that he had gone missing, he would be able to defeat Goten in a lightsaber duel. He would be able to design and create his own lightsaber and go on many, many missions. Everyone would respect him…everyone would fear him. 

The speeder suddenly lurched and Trunks was thrown back against his seat even harder than when Juuhachigou had thrown him in. He stiffly hung on to the edge of the seat as Juu piloted the speeder expertly, bringing it into a large tunnel where many other starships entered. His eyes watering from the wind whipping at his face, Trunks gritted his teeth as Juu exited the tunnel and leaned on the accelerator. The blonde huntress then swung the speeder higher and higher, aiming for a lone structure that appeared to be in the middle of construction.

Nervousness crept into his stomach and Trunks strained his neck over the hunter's shoulder to try to see what was ahead. Unfortunately, he leaned too close and held back a cry when Juu sharply elbowed his chin. "Stay back," she ordered crisply, turning her attention back to the front.

Glaring at the back of her head, Trunks did as he was told and waited impatiently to see his father.

Seconds later, Juuhachigou set the speeder down upon a stable beam and unbuckled her crash webbing. She climbed out, commanding Trunks to do the same and follow her closely.

The lavender-haired boy carefully hauled himself out onto the beam and steadied his body after losing his balance slightly. He did this all without his brilliant blue eyes losing focus of the dark-cloaked figure far ahead…

"Go back and you will find a man on his way to find you and the boy." Vegeta's voice brought Trunks back into the past to when he was two-years-old…

_The two-year-old boy clung tightly to his father's tunic as he gazed upon the silver-metallic entrance to the Jedi Temple. His purplish-hair blew wildly around his face. This was not his first visit to the Temple. His first had been when both Bulma and Vegeta had come to the Temple when he was only 6 months old. It was there in the Council Room where he was declared to be Force-sensitive. Despite Vegeta's rebellion of the rules concerning marriage and attachment, Trunks would be trained when he was a little older. _

_And now that time had come. Trunks was more than able, especially after frightening his mother when he unknowingly lifted a toy of his off the floor. _

_The doors separated revealing the tall Goku, who also held a baby in his arms. Goten, only a year old, would not start official training until a few months later but Goku felt it was appropriate that Trunks should get to know Goten so that neither would be afraid when left alone in the Temple with other students. "Vegeta." Goku nodded smiling. "Wow, Trunks has grown, hasn't he?" Vegeta nodded shortly and Trunks reached out to Goku. "Huh? Hi there, Trunks!" Goku cooed, meeting Trunks' hand with his own. He turned to his son and said, "Goten, this is Trunks. Trunks, this is Goten. You two are going to be best friends, I just know it!"_

"_Humph." Vegeta set Trunks on the floor. "Kakarott, take Trunks with you. I'm going to go meet with the Council."_

"_Okay," Goku replied, offering Trunks his hand. "We'll be in the nursery area. You're coming back, aren't you? I'm sure Trunks will want to say good-bye before you leave." He let the question hang in the air._

"_Perhaps," came the short answer._

_Goku sighed, shook his head in amusement, and headed for the nursery._

_Sometime later…_

"_Tunks!" Goten gurgled happily, not able to fully pronounce his new friend's name. "Tunks!"_

"_Hey, that's your…tenth word!" Goku grinned, ruffling his youngest son's hair. Goten's first word had been "ca-wow". The translation was "careful" after Goku had tripped right in front of Goten and his wife had scolded him, telling him to be more careful. _

_Trunks smiled shyly, fidgeting with the sleeves of his own, new padawan training tunic. He missed his father, terribly. _

"_Dad?" Gohan, who was now six, had long since stopped referring to his father as "Daddy". He was growing up fast, it seemed, but showed much promise. To most of his teachers, he was a smart, polite boy who was eager to learn and eager to help out. "Mother needs to speak with you," he said quietly, watching the two little boys. _

"_Oh!" Goku straightened up. "Would you mind watching these two for awhile? I won't be long."_

_Gohan nodded and sat down with the two boys as Goku disappeared from the nursery. "Hi, Goten. Hi, Trunks," he greeted each of them with a smile. _

"_Ghan!" Goten laughed in delight as Gohan made a face to keep them happy. _

_Subsequently, Vegeta entered the nursery and glanced around, looking for his son. When he spotted Trunks and the Son brothers, he slowly walked towards the trio and stopped right in front of them._

"_Master Vegeta!" Gohan scrambled to his feet and gave a quick bow._

"_Back so soon, Vegeta?" Goku asked, re-entering the nursery. "So, where are you going this time?"_

"_Missing assistant to Senator Cuorsye," Vegeta responded seriously. "Said to have ran off with some important files. Last seen near the Korriban system."_

"_Korriban?" Goku repeated, his brow wrinkling. "That planet? But isn't it-"_

"_You are correct," Vegeta interrupted, not bothering to let him finish. 'Idiot...'_

"_Papa?" Trunks whimpered, stretching his hands upward. _

_Goku knew how Vegeta hated to show any kind of affection in public. "Gohan? Let's take Goten back to your mother and then you have to go for your lesson with Piccolo."_

"_Yes, Dad." Gohan picked up his baby brother and left the room with his father, leaving the other father and son duo alone._

_Vegeta reluctantly kneeled down so he was almost eye-to-eye with Trunks. "Well, brat, I'm leaving now. Your mother will come for you in the evening."_

"_Papa," Trunks whispered and suddenly hugged his father something fierce._

_Vegeta raised an eyebrow and patted his son's back lightly. _

_Trunks smiled sleepily. _

_With a faint smirk, Vegeta stood up and left the nursery. He stopped at the doorway and looked back once at Trunks who hadn't said a word and was still watching him. "Good-bye, brat…Trunks," Vegeta whispered ever so softly and the doors shut behind him as he made his way to the hangar, to leave for the mysterious planet, Korriban…_

"Is this going to pay more?" Juuhachigou demanded tonelessly.

Trunks was brought back to reality.

"I will leave the money right here," Vegeta answered, still not facing either of them. "Extra included for your trouble."

"Very well." Juuhachigou spun around and stalked toward her speeder, giving no second glance to the lavender-haired boy. She had a job to do.

Trunks sucked in a breath as Vegeta turned and looked at him, dark eyes meeting troubled ones.

* * *

Knowing the Temple vehicle would be needed, Goku quickly deactivated the security lock on an air-bike, utilizing the powers of the Force. There was no time to waste on trivial codes and numbers. Not while a life was in danger. 

With a roar, the air-bike burst forward with such enormous speed that the Saiyan was almost thrown off the bike. Gaining complete control of the bike, Goku headed towards the west, following his feelings. He sensed the coming confrontation and knew Vegeta had probably sent the bounty hunter back to throw him off track. With grim determination, Goku grabbed his lightsaber, already spying the blonde huntress, dead ahead.

Juuhachigou deftly lifted her blaster out of its holster and aimed for Son Goku. Blaster fire ripped through the night air as Juu steered her speeder to the right, narrowly avoiding the air-bike.

Blinking away moisture from his eyes, Goku instantly turned the air-bike around, following her like a malia. He had only just managed to move around the blaster bolts. 'Maybe now is the right time to use the ol' lightsaber,' Goku thought, almost looking forward to the battle. But he knew he shouldn't. Being a Jedi meant not welcoming battle.

"_Besides, what is wrong with power and strength? We are Saiyans, Kakarott, and I'm the Prince of all Saiyans! We are a strong and respected race. A _strong_…and respected race…"_

Jedi did not wish to fight, but Saiyans did because it was in their nature to desire such a thing. It tested one's limits, developed tough, hard muscles and ever-growing strength.

Not only that, fighting was the product of anger, a step to the Dark Side.

'No!'

With a heavy heart, Goku continued the pursuit, igniting his lightsaber. A _snap-hiss_ sounded. It had not come from the activation of his lightsaber.

Rain droplets splattered on his bare skin. It was beginning to rain.

Thunder echoed all around and lightning flashed.

"A storm!" Goku knew it wasn't exactly safe to be out during a storm, especially one on Coruscant. There was always the danger of lightning damaging the power couplings and factories of anything and everything.

Realizing that her "prey" had lagged behind, Juuhachigou made a quick U-turn and sped after him, already sticking her gloved hand out of the speeder, shooting to kill.

Goku deflected all of the bolts, purposely aiming them upward, hoping no starship was nearby. He had to think of the safety of the people below and of this bounty hunter. She might be trying to get rid of him, but her life was still life, regardless. He would have to capture her and question her about the whereabouts of Trunks –

Trunks!

He had almost forgotten about Vegeta. There was no doubt Juuhachigou had taken Trunks to Vegeta. Maybe it was the Force but somehow he knew that his missing friend was here on Coruscant.

Was he still a friend?

Goku sensed undeniable vibes of the Dark Side.

Unconsciously fending off the huntress' blaster fire, Goku failed to divert a stray bolt that ended up blowing a piece of his tunic away, scraping his skin. "Ow! Gee, that really smarts!" Goku ducked as Juuhachigou's speeder flew over him, nearly clipping his hair. "I've got to stop her – fast! But how?" Goku directed his saber behind him as the bounty hunter carried on in her attack.

"Goku!"

Relief coursed through his veins as he recognized the voice of his other old friend, Krillin.

The android's fire abruptly halted as Krillin came into view with a speeder of his own along with a fellow Jedi Knight, Aidan Bok.

Aidan guided the vehicle while Krillin leaped out, landing awkwardly on Juu's speeder. "Goku, go!" he yelled, while desperately hanging on to the rear burner of the huntress' speeder.

Goku was already gone.

* * *

Trunks suddenly felt dizzy as his father edged closer, slowly, as if purposely trying to unnerve him. The Force was sending him so many warnings, signals, waves of potential danger. The feelings surrounded him, _clung_ to him. Every pore, every hair, every bead of perspiration cried out, longing to be back in his bed, to be sparring with Goten, to even be listening to Piccolo of all people! Every muscle, every bone, every heartbeat fueled that desire to be anywhere, anywhere but _here_. 

The rain fell and with it, the walls of courage that Trunks had hastily built during the moments of the ride with Juuhachigou, crumbled. His breath quickened and he could almost hear his heart thunder with anxiety. The boy perceived that this was not normal nervousness he was experiencing. Something was happening to him – something that _he_ was not intentionally doing! Trunks licked his lips as he tried to fight off the cloak of darkness that had suddenly descended around father and son.

Vegeta had finally reached his son, drinking his whole appearance in. Startling blue eyes, soft, lavender-colored hair, and indisputable, familiar features. This was his son all right. Lightning flashed illuminating the fear in the boy's eyes. For awhile, all other lights and all other sounds were shut out and the two were in a world of their own creation, or rather Vegeta's creation. The Saiyan Prince knew perfectly well that Trunks had discovered that whatever trepidation he was undergoing, it was not...reassuring.

"Trunks, my son," Vegeta murmured, not bothering to call him "brat" like he had done so, years ago. "The time has come at last," he whispered, more to himself, if anything.

"Pa-" Trunks stopped himself. He was not a baby or a little boy… "Father." Trunks took a deep breath, hopelessly seeking out serenity, knowing he would not find it. Had the Force left him? He croaked out one word, "Why?" Perhaps he had meant why he could not feel the Force so easily now, that peaceful, tranquil oneness. Or maybe his question had been directed towards his father on his sudden appearance after being branded as missing or dead…

Whatever his intent, only one question would be answered.

His lips curling up into a smirk, Vegeta responded, "You are going to train with me, boy."

"T-Train?" Trunks was bewildered. "Train with you?" Unexpectedly, Trunks' eyes filled with angry tears. "Why did you leave us? Why did you go?" Trunks glared and continued. "I-I hate you!" he shouted, and before he knew it, he was on the now-wet surface of the structure, nursing a bruise in the making on his chin. Had his own father just hit him?

Vegeta, now stoic looking, stood over him, the lightning and thunder making his presence seem sinister. His black flame of hair swayed in the wind and his onyx eyes held a fierce gleam in them. "No. You don't."

"_No. You don't."_

Truthfully, Trunks did not hate his father. His anger had caused him to say things he did not mean. However, he hadn't wanted his father to have the satisfaction of knowing Trunks was relieved to see him, despite the other, contradicting feelings.

Trunks tried again, determined to prove himself worthy…

"Dad," he grunted, not concerning himself with formalities. "Where _were _you?" he demanded quietly, deciding he would have to depend on his martial arts training should the need arise to defend himself.

Vegeta chose not to answer right away. Instead, he turned from his son, closing his eyes, enjoying the coolness of the rain on his skin. Finally: "I was off, learning, training to become stronger," he replied, gathering the Dark Side of the Force around him…

Trunks instantly snapped to full attention. The Dark Side! "No," he rasped, "no, Dad. You didn't-" He was unable to continue, the words lost within his soul, the very dread he had unconsciously anticipated.

His father couldn't possibly be a Sith! He just…couldn't!

Could he?

"Tell me, brat, have you ever wondered why people die?" Vegeta asked, almost coldly. "Have you ever wondered why the Jedi fail in their pursuit of higher understanding and comprehending of the Force? Why they can't save everyone? Why can't they stop wars themselves? And they claim to be the guardians of the galaxy and of the peace," he added bitterly.

The rain fell and mingled with hot tears. "The Jedi do not fail!" he cried, forcing himself to believe it. "It's impossible to save everyone!"

"Nothing is impossible…not if you learn both ways of the Force!" Vegeta spoke with such passion that the inward battle Trunks was fighting suddenly dissipated.

"Think about it, Trunks," Vegeta began sharply, "if you knew the power of the Dark Side and the Light Side, you could do great things. You could stop people from dying, you could save the ones closest to you…even your sister."

Trunks blinked. How did he know about Bra? Vegeta hadn't been there when she was born! If anything ever happened to his little sister… Trunks shook his head clear of the thought and focused on the argument. "But, people dying…it's natural!"

"Maybe old age is," Vegeta said dryly, "but innocent lives of a futile war?"

"The Sith care nothing for the innocent!" Trunks snapped. "All they care about is destroying the Jedi and ruling the galaxy!"

"How little you know," Vegeta sneered, taking a step closer. "Is that the kind of pathetic lies the Jedi have been stuffing down your throat?"

"They're not lies!" Trunks protested wildly. "They're not!"

"And how would you know?" Vegeta gave a humorless laugh. "You're nothing but a little boy—"

"Stop it!" Trunks clenched his fists, squeezing his eyes shut. "Stop it! I'm _not _a little boy!" A power he never knew he had rose within him and he opened his eyes, hoping his father was surprised.

Surprise was the last thing on Vegeta's mind as he grasped the boy's shoudlers firmly. This was what he wanted. This was what he _needed_.

"Come with me, Trunks, and you will become the most powerful being the galaxy has ever seen," Vegeta finished, letting go of the boy, narrowing his eyes.

Trunks could only stare into his father's eyes, knowing it was…true. If he became the most powerful ever…he could save people! He could save everyone, even his sister and mother. The galaxy wouldn't be such a bad place anymore. No criminal would ever dare to commit crime.

Everyone would respect him…everyone would fear him.

"Father…" he breathed, standing up. "I…"

* * *

Goku pressed his foot hard against the accelerators on both sides, ignoring the rain that drenched his tunic and stung his eyes. There was no time to lose, no seconds to waste! 

Goku could feel both Trunks and Vegeta's presence in the Force but also…he could really…_feel_ them...but how?

Losing his concentration, Goku almost was not able to avoid the arch in front of him. Dipping the air bike downward, Goku whizzed by and brought himself back up again, seeing a lone starship on top of an unfinished building…

"No!" Goku shouted, increasing his speed.

Vegeta's starship, the Executor, slowly rose above the structure, and then blasted off towards the sky, towards space, towards freedom…

Goku landed the air bike and shut it off. The rain was ceasing, the lighting becoming less and less frequent, and the thunder fading away. The storm was leaving…

Goku, the Jedi Hero, the husband and father, the valiant and strongest, the most compassionate and forgiving Saiyan man, sank to his knees and dropped his head into his hands in despair.

He had failed.

* * *

ChiChi moaned and her eyes fluttered open. "…Maybe she left a message…" 

"_Who_ left a message?"

"Mom? Mom, are you okay?"

ChiChi rubbed her eyes and it all came back to her. "Goku! Bulma! The children!" The wife of Goku looked at Krillin and then at her eldest son, Gohan. "That woman, that hussy, she-"

"She got away," Krillin broke in glumly. "We failed to capture her."

Those were words Goku did not want to hear as he stepped through the doorway, shivering.

"Goku!" everyone cried.

"Dad!" Gohan was the first to reach his father but he stopped short when he sensed an overwhelming sadness. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"Goku, the bounty hunter escaped," Krillin explained, "but Aidan and I were able to attach a tracking device on her speeder. No doubt she'll leave the speeder somewhere and take off with a different starship but it's the best we could do."

"Yes," Piccolo agreed, standing in a far corner. "The bounty hunter is not our concern at the moment."

"Not your concern!" Bulma shrieked, sitting by her sleeping daughter. "That bounty hunter attacked my daughter – and ChiChi! She also took my son to who knows where and all you can say is she's _not your concern_!"

"Bulma, calm down," Yamcha said.

"Don't you tell her to calm down!" ChiChi chimed in. "She has every right to be upset!"

"He said, 'at the moment.'" Krillin sighed. "That doesn't mean we're going to forget what she has done."

"Where is my son!" Bulma screamed, sick of it all.

"I suggest we all listen to Goku now," Dende, the Namekian healer, said, his soft voice managing to reach even the most ignorant of ears. Along with Piccolo and Aidan, he knew Goku had some possibly disturbing news to deliver.

Goku had not said a word the entire time. He was seated on a chair with a blanket wrapped around him. Gohan stood close by as well as ChiChi, both worried about him.

Bringing his head up, Goku kept his expression even and calm. "Trunks is gone."

A collective gasp from certain people filled the air.

"Gone?" Bulma shouted. "What do you mean he's _gone_!"

"Vegeta took him," Goku responded, looking at her with dejected eyes. "I'm sorry, Bulma."

For a moment, there was only silence.

Aidan quietly tugged his hands inside his robes and left the room.

Piccolo shook his head, knowing the truth completely at last. 'A master…and an apprentice.'

Everyone else did nothing, not knowing what to say.

And Bulma gazed at her daughter, tears falling like rain, until her voice rang shrilly throughout the Temple in anger over her shattered world…

"Blast you, Vegeta!"

* * *

Covering his ears, the little boy who sat outside the room in secret wiped away a single tear. He was supposed to be in bed. Aidan had almost spotted him…maybe he had. Goten didn't know. All he knew was that Trunks was gone. Uncle Vegeta had taken him…but where? And why? 

"Trunks." Goten's voice was barely above a whisper. "Wherever you are, I'll save you. I'll find you so that Auntie Bulma won't be sad."

* * *

On a distant and lonely planet, far, far away… 

Xsanoff was the next planet Vegeta had migrated to after staying for many years on Korriban. He made his home there while training and meditating. He didn't dare visit his homeworld or any other world for that matter. Nobody was to know of his existence; it was best that everyone think him dead. Only now, they knew he was very much alive.

Vegeta, with Trunks in front, sat on a large, scaled silver-blue dragon. With a roar, the dragon dove downward, stretching its mighty wings. This dragon was trained to do his bidding, unlike the other dragons. It was young and strong, having been found as a baby by Vegeta, who gripped the reins he had constructed a year ago.

"Training starts tomorrow," Vegeta told his son.

"Yes, father…master."

Vegeta thought back to Goku. He had seen Goku coming at a distance before he had left Coruscant. 'Sorry, old friend,' he thought sarcastically. Goku had all but forgotten one thing:

Treachery is the nature of the Sith.

* * *

**A/N: Please keep watch for Across the Stars II: Recovery, which will have a lot more then three chapters and more interesting revelations… Executor is the name of Vader's star destroyer (I'm sure) so I don't own the name. **


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